Ras Al Khaimah is the destination of the future, on the latest episode of AB Majlis with Raki Philips, CEO of RAK Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), he revealed massive development plans including new brands, the highly anticipated Wynn Resort, accommodation on the Jebal Jais mountains and more.
The emirate aims to triple the number of tourists by the end of the decade, “we will be at 3.5 million overnight visitors 1.5 million day use visitors,” with tourism anticipated to account for a third of the economy, he said.
To cater to rising demand RAK is set to double the number of hotel rooms in the emirate.
“Today we are at about 8,000 keys, by the end of the decade we will be at about 16,000 to 20,000 keys,” Philips stated.
The upcoming developments in the emirate’s hospitality industry will lead to the opening of several new global brands including Nobu, Nikki Beach, JW Marriott, W Hotel, Westin, Rove and the highly anticipated casino resort – Wynn Al Marjan.
In a recent announcement, Wynn Resorts was issued UAE’s first commercial gaming license, Philips shared the news on LinkedIn saying, “We’re very excited to reach this important milestone on Wynn’s journey in opening their Middle East flagship in Ras Al Khaimah. Working with great partners like Wynn Resorts and the broader tourism community enables us to fully realize our vision of creating a Destination of the Future based on growth, development and best-in-class collaborations.”
When asked about the anticipated impact of the Wynn integrated gaming resort, Philips said, “When you look at Wynn as an integrated resort operator around the world, it is a key differentiating factor that is a tremendous attraction.”
“We’re so excited about it,” he asserted.
The emirate is further investing into expansion not only of within the hospitality sector but also the attraction sector. RAK is already home to several thrilling attractions including the Jais Sledder and the Jebal Jais zip line, however, the CEO revealed that there are “more attractions that will be coming that cater to what the needs of the customer are.”
On the episode, Philips also sheds light on the cultural heritage of the emirate sharing developments including the restoration of Jazira Al Hamra, the oldest fishermen’s village from the turn of last century.
“That has been fully restored and creates such a unique attraction,” he said.
Revealing a particularly stellar development to a tourist favourite, the CEO unveiled that within a year Jebal Jais will soon see accommodation on the mountains.
“That is going to be something that we are quite excited about,” he said.
Attracting tourism to the emirate continues to be a key focus for RAKTDA, leaning on the strengths that the emirate has continues to be their key strategy.
“The topography is very important. Our strategy is to have a diverse client base so no one client base, no one source market has more than 15 per cent of the arrivals so in that way we are a diverse destination,” he explained.
In line with the tourism strategy, RAK is currently working on enhancements to the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
“We have been able to get flights from Poland, from Kazakhstan, from the CIS region and from India.”
Philips revealed that there are ongoing discussions to expand the airport to be able to accommodate the influx of tourists.
He further highlighted enhancements to the road network, facilities, accommodation and more.
“Our goal is to make it one of the most livable cities in the world,” he asserted.
The episode further dives into economic benefits, the safety of the UAE compared to countries around the world, GCC unified visas and more.
Listen to the full episode available on all streaming platforms.
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